The present invention generally relates to material handling devices, particularly to sliding boom delimbers, and specifically to improved boom constructions for sliding boom delimbers.
Sliding boom delimbers have been found to provide fast and efficient delimbing, cutting and stacking of timber stems. However, sliding boom delimbers encounter various problems inherent in their design and operation. Specifically, the boom is subjected to considerable bending moment especially when the boom is slid to its fully extended position. This bending moment is increased due to several factors including but not limited to increasing lengths of the boom, increasing complexity and thus weight of the grapple head, and the desire to work on larger timber stems both in length and in diameter. Thus, a need exists for improved boom constructions which are able to handle this increased bending moment while minimizing boom complexity and cost.
Furthermore, due to the continually changing spacing of the grapple head from the power source, a need exists for improved boom constructions which are able to provide a cable bundle between the grapple head and the power source which minimizes boom complexity and costs and which encloses the cable bundle from catching on external objects and protects the cable bundle from excessive wear or damage.